jones



-(No Mbdel.)

f 2 Sheets-Sheet'1. E. G. J ONES; RAIL TRACK GL EANER.

Patented May. 31,1898.-

IVVENTOR,

Edward fie rye Jones, y M 1/ W (No Model 2 Sheets-Shea}; 2.

' E. G. JONES.

RAIL TRACK, CLEANER.

INVENTOR magi a I r ebr e one, 6 Edwajtv' f 6' I 7 1i; ITZED:

PATENT OFF-ion.

EDWARD GEORGE JONES, OF CAPE TOWN, CAPE coLoNY.

RA-lL- T RACK CLEANER.

j SPECIFICATION forming partof LettersiZEatent No. 604,865, dated May 31, 1898. Application filed 'October 21,1897. iSerial No..6.55',"9.84. 'ilio'model.) PatantedinEnglandMay I2, 1897, No. 11,847.

provements in Rail Track Cleaners, (for which I have obtained the following patent Great B'ritain and Ireland, No. 11,847, dated May12, 1897 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as part of this specification and read therewith, and one which will enable others skilled in the art to which it most nearly appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference to improvements in rail-track cleaners, and is designed more especially-for cleaning and clearing the grooved track of electric vehicles having a rail-return for current.

It'is' well known that the track or line of grooved rails provided for tram and similar trafficbecomes clogged with sand, mud, snow, or other matter which impedes the progress and smooth and economical running of such vehicles, and in the case of electric vehicles havinga rail-return for current it is absolutely essential that a clean track be maintained in order to preserve electrical contact between the vehicle and the rails.

In order that my invention may be fully understood and defined, I have appended hereto two sheets of drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents in side elevation my improved rail-track cleaner tilted in its operative position. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. ,1, omitting the tension-chains, eyebolts, and'cushioning-springs. Fig. 3 is a central section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig.

4 is aside elevation of Fig. 1 when in the dotted position. Similar letters of reference ent views of the same partsthroughout.

According to my invention a T-shaped frame A is suspended at its upper end by a gimbal-jointb to a bracket c, fixed to the under framed of the vehicle, preferably between the wheels thereof. The center memdenote diiferher or leg at of this T-shaped frame is hollow and contains a helical compression-spring e, which in'its normal'state is slightly under compressiom The shaft f, which is preferably of square cross-section to prevent it turning in its socket, has a fixed head g on its upper end, which projects for a short dis tance into the hollow central leg at at the bottom thereof and abuts against the compression-spring within. The space around the underside of the said head, between it and the bottom of the interior of the central leg of the frame, is cushioned by means of rubber collars h h or their equivalent to prevent jarring.

The lower end of the shaft f, carrying the scraper B, is of the form of a rectangular tapered prism, as shown at i, and is secured in the socket of the scraper, preferably by means of bolts j j.

The scraper proper consists of two blades is, each slightly bent to an angle, so that a nose or prominent ridge Z Z is formed" along the line of the bend, on each side of which the blade slopes away backward in oblique planes m m. The bottom edge of each blade has a projecting tooth or tongue n n formed upon it to correspond with the groove 0 in the-rail.

- Projecting upward perpendicularly from the top of each blade and; preferably formed integral therewith is a half-socket p, corre sponding in shape to that of the rectangularprism-shaped block i, on the bottom end of the scraper-shaft, to which it is rigidly fixed by means of bolts or any other well-known equivalent mechanical device.

In addition to the gimbal-joint (b) suspen-' sion of the T-shaped frame A to the bracket 0 it is also in part suspended from the extremities of the cross-bar by means of shortchains r 0", leading from the ends of the said bar to the under frame (1 of the vehicle. Each extremity of the cross-bar is formed into an eye, which may be a round one, as shown in the accompanying drawings at s s; but preferably they would be elongated eyes, to permit of the eyebolts s 8 being drawn into the same straight line with the chainwhen the latter is under tension. Through each of the said eyes an eyebolt s s is suspended by means of the chains 0' r. A helical cushioning-spring if surrounds these eyebolts, which spring in its normal state is slightly compressed between two washers it u, as shown.

The object of the above-described auxiliary suspension device is primarily to limit and control the throw of the scraper and keep it at its proper working angle when in action, and also as a safety device to prevent the scraper being damaged by coming in contact with an obstacle to its passage. Normally the scraper rests tilted forward at an angle to the horizontal in the direction of the last movement of the car and under ordinary circumstances would remain at that angle should the car be moved on again in the same direction; but should it be backed or drawn in a reverse direction the scraper would first assume a vertical position, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and then fall in the contrary direction to that in which it formerly sloped. Now should the scraper on its journey come in contact with, say, a stone or some other obstacle it (the scraper) would be thrown simultaneously backward and upward, or, in other words, caused to mount the said obstacle, causing the front end of the cross-bar of the frame to exert a downward pressure upon the spring around the eyebolt, thereby compressing it until the obstacle has been overridden by the scraper, when by virtue of the recoil of the spring and the limiting and guiding action of the chain under tension and the side spring-guides (the latter a device yet to be described) the scraper would be guided and again pressed downward into the groove in the rail without damage.

The side spring-guidesv above referred to consist of spring arms or stays the lower ends '0 of which are scmicylindrical to embrace and form a sliding bearing for the center leg of the frame. Their function is to prevent lateral swaying or springing movement of the apparatus. Each exerting an equal pressure upon it in a contrary direction keeps the apparatus centrally over the rail, as desired.

I claim 1. A scraper for a rail-track-cleaning apparatus, consisting of a shaft to which are rigidly fixed two plates bent to, or meeting together at an angle along a central longitudinal line, thus each plate forming two lateral oblique planes, one of such planes having on the bottom edge thereof a tooth-like projection, as and for the purpose described and set forth.

2. A holder for the scraper of a rail-trackcleaning apparatus, consisting of a T-shaped frame the center leg of which is hollow and occupied mainly by a helical spring and the lower end being adapted to retain the headed end of the shaft of the scraper, and the crossbar of which is provided with a hole at each extremity thereof to receive an eyebolt, as and for the purpose described and set forth.

3. In a rail-track-eleaning apparatus, the combination with a suitable carriage, of the T-shaped scraper-holder suspended from the center of its cross-bar by a gimbal-joint from a bearing-bracket on the under frame of the carriage, and from the extremities of its crossbar by means of chains attached at one end to the under frame of the carriage and at the other to eyebolts adapted by means of helical springs and washers to cushion the movement of the said scrapenholder, as and for the purpose described and set forth.

4. In a rail-track-eleaning apparatus, the combination with a suitable carriage of the T-shaped scraper-holder suspended by a gimbal-joint, chains and spring-cushioned eyebolts to the under frame of the carriage; lateral spring sliding guides adapted to control any lateral movement of the holder, and the scraper and scraper-shaft, as and for the purpose described and set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 27th day of August, 1807.

EDIVARD GEORGE JONES.

\Vitnesses:

R. A. BLAKE, W. M. HARRIS. 

